Whether it is losing weight, quitting smoking, starting to exercise, doing volunteer work, going back to school, or making a deliberate effort to cut the stress from your life; all of us make New Year’s resolutions that we almost never keep. Psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia Reem Shaheen explains how to make resolutions that can be achieved.

Expectations  

The start of the New Year for most of us resonates with newness and a feeling of sometimes over optimistic hope as we embark on a new diet or join the gym. However, according to studies, the majority of people do not keep their New Year’s resolutions. The key reason we don’t keep our New Year’s resolutions are expectations.

A Framework of Change

We formulate our resolutions as a picture of a new person: “Next year I will be………” Instead of considering the improvements that we want to make to our lives or to our personalities, rather we make resolutions for major transformations of our lives and ourselves.

Baby Steps

Change, especially major change, tends to be hard to keep. For instance, instead of having a New Year’s resolution to lose 30 kilos, research and plan how to make small changes and improvements to your diet that can help you lose weight in the long run. Research suggests that small changes are easier to keep compared to major changes. It further helps if the changes can be easily integrated into your routine. If you want to start exercising, don’t start by hitting the gym five days a week at 6 am before work. You can instead, just start with a walk twice a week after work. Again, research suggests that our bodies respond better to consistency rather than intensity.

We Resist Change

Another reason it is hard for people to keep New Year’s resolutions is the number of changes we expect from ourselves. How often do we hear: “My New Year’s resolutions are to do more outdoor activities, spend more time with my family, and focus more on work.” Humans are creatures of habit and resist change. When too many changes are introduced at the same time, we simply resist implementing all of them. It is better however, to introduce small adjustments towards the desired goal.

Advice

Finally, don’t embark into the New Year with the idea that you need to be a ‘new person’, instead, just embrace who you are and start the New Year with a step towards the person you aspire to be one day.